In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret: A fairy Tale for Elders by Keith Anthony Baird

 

Betrayal brings grave ending to a noble bloodline. Forced to flee, its sole surviving heir is spared this fate by the timely intervention of a haunter of the wilds. In his charge, the maiden embraces the lore of the dark arts and rises to become the watch-keep of the woods. As decades pass, with her legend growing, the 'witch of root and earth' weaves subtle deceits in a tangled web of vengeance.

But will there be a fairy ending, or will poisoned legacies and pacts with dark forces see ambition unravel in her relentless pursuit of power?

Bloody and brilliantly realised, Baird's dark fantasy nightmare spins a lavish tale of dread, desire, and fantastical fury.

I'm not sure where to start with this review, other than it's absolutely fantastic. I'm really struggling to think of another book that it is similar too but can't. It's such an original book!

As a child I loved fairy tales, I really liked the dark ones such as Hansel and Gretal, Little Red Riding Hood, tales of children going off on their own in a bog dark forest full of magic and malevolence so this book, In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret was right up my street.

This book remains very faithful to the Grimm brothers and has none of the essence of Disney. This is a dark tale with the same heart wrenching brutality you'll find in the Game of Thrones franchise. This book is a relentless ride of dark and sinister imagery, vivid story telling and rollercoaster plot turns. This is one of those books that makes you want to read it again and again. 

The language is really sublime and whisks you to a place of nightmares and dreams. This is a perfect book for horror and fantasy fan